Saturday, May 10, 2014

Thoughts on 9/11, Ground Zero, Ergun Caner, and the NYPD 9/11 Scammers

Tuesday this week, the last day of a short trip to New York City, we stopped at the World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial where the Twin Towers once stood. This is the second time I've visited the site in the last 2 1/2 years.

The magnitude of the loss and suffering which occurred at that one location in a matter of hours, is absolutely mind boggling. We also stopped by a small museum that had artifacts from 9/11, along with walls of the actual "Missing" posters that were put up by survivors just after the event in hopes their loved ones could be found alive. Visiting the site brings back the emotions that I felt on that day - the anger, the fear, the uncertainty of days ahead - and remembrance of the impact that day had on our own family.

After we left the site Tuesday, a sickening thought hit me, a thought that I couldn't help but think as a blogger who has written so much about the Ergun Caner hoax over the past 4 years. It was that event, the event that caused thousands of innocent, hard-working civilians to lose their life in a span of a few hours, and then thousands of U.S. servicemen and women in the ensuing wars - that Ergun Caner exploited for personal and professional gain.

It is mind boggling. Who would do such a thing as use an event as terrible as that, to lie to people for professional gain? Who does such a thing as exploit the events of 9/11, get caught, and then claim they did nothing wrong? Who does such a thing, and then sues two people who dared to expose his worst lies, and then labels them "cyber terrorists"?

Let's take it a step further: what kind of people, what group of professionals, would see one of their own do such a thing, yet refuse to denounce his hoax and not hold him accountable and deny that he ever lied - and at the same time be brazen enough to attack and ridicule those who are trying to expose the hoax?

Well, apparently Ergun Caner, and Southern Baptist Convention Georgia Baptist Convention pastors are men who WOULD do just that. Caner exploited 9/11 for his own gain - he got caught - the SBC leadership has either been silent OR a few have aggressively defended Caner and denied the obvious - and the Georgia Baptist Convention has actually hired Caner to lead one of their colleges. I can speak first-hand on the hoax - because I was in the audience just after 9/11 when Caner proclaimed he was a trained Jihadist, that he was "raised in Europe" (with rolling r's), and that Jesus died so he "wouldn't have to strap a bomb to my back". I know the feeling he left with all of us that day - that he was almost one of the 9/11 terrorists, but Jesus saved him just in the nick of time. And that was the beginning of the hoax.

I'd like to contrast this with how the New York City police department dealt with those of their own who exploited the events of 9/11 for personal gain.

Just this past January more than 100 New York City police and firemen were indicted in a social
security scam involving the events of 9/11. These scum buckets falsely claimed full disability as a result of the 9/11 attacks from post-traumatic stress disorder, but when investigators looked at the evidence of their own real lives, their hoax was easily uncovered. They were busted when images on the Internet showed they were not at all fully disabled as they claimed, but instead were leading full, active lives quite contrary to the claims they made to get disability.

Thankfully, the legal system is going to see that these men are held accountable. And just as importantly, their actions of using the events of 9/11 for their own personal gain by claiming some false connection of the events of 9/11 to some supposed "disability", has embarrassed themselves and those in their profession.

Said the NYC Police Commissioner, William Bratton:
“As a New Yorker, as a U.S. citizen, I can only express disgust at the actions of these individuals involved in this scheme, particularly the 72 former members of the New York City Police Department who have certainly disgraced themselves, embarrassed their families, with their abuse of this system. The idea that many of them chose the events of 9/11 to claim as the basis of the disability brings further dishonor to themselves.
This is the kind of outrage one would expect from Southern Baptist pastors everywhere over the Ergun Caner hoax that he perpetrated for about 9 years until he was busted by bloggers. The reaction of Commissioner Bratton is what I would expect from Tim Lee, the Baptist evangelist and very decorated war hero and Marine. How can Lee show any respect for Caner, or claim "We never found one instance of Ergun lying," especially considering Caner pulled his hoax on Lee's own fellow Marines who were subjected to the false claims of Caner. Imagine - he was speaking to Marines to prepare them for battle in Turkey, based on his 9/11 hoax, claiming to have lived in Turkey and received training in madrassas in Beirut and Cairo. These were bogus claims for which there is zero evidence that Caner made UNTIL AFTER the planes flew into the twin towers and the Pentagon. Then all of a sudden, out of the rubble, emerges Ergun Mehmet Caner - previously known (by very few people) as Michael Caner. Maybe the stench of Caner's hoax wouldn't be so bad IF he were telling his tall tales before 9/11. But no such evidence exists. He used 9/11 as the starting point. Sick stuff.

While Caner didn't break any laws, still the comparison is that both the indicted NYC cops and Ergun Caner used the horrific 9/11 events as a launching pad for a better life. They concocted carefully crafted stories and they sold their stories to those who for a time believed them - until they were busted by the evidence that their stories were lies.

But these are the strange days of modern evangelicalism. While Southern Baptists are crying the end of civilization is upon us from the rotten culture in which we live - time after time we see examples of how our "culture" - as in our government, our schools, our secular professional organizations - hold themselves to much higher standards of decency and morality and transparency than these self-proclaimed "men of God" and their religious organizations.

And so many "Men of God" wonder why their churches are dying, why pastors are leaving their professions, why people don't want to darken the doors of their sanctuaries, and why their gospel message is laughed at by so many. You can't claim to preach the "truth" of your religion, when your own actions deny interest in the truth of real events happening today - as in the Caner hoax.

Here is my statement, taking NYC Police Commissioner Bratton's and fitting it to the the Ergun Caner scandal:
"As a Southern Baptist, as a United States Citizen, I can only express disgust at the actions of these individuals involved in this scheme, particularly Ergun Caner himself and those Southern Baptist leaders who have remained silent or denied Caner's hoax, as they all have certainly disgraced themselves and embarrassed their families. The idea that Caner chose the events of 9/11 to brand himself as a Jihadist to launch his religious career brings dishonor to himself and the religious and educational organizations he represents.”

31 comments:

  1. Amen! Thank you for your continued effort to bring justice to the SBC and its "leaders" who seem to chose to ignore what Caner has done.

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  2. Of all your posts Jax, this one hits all the points exactly. Purity in the church, honesty, all the things that we thought the church was until we found out it isn't and further away from it than I thought, are all the reasons this is not just wrong, but absurdly wrong.

    The world does have more morals than the church and it seems it always has. Is this what the Bible means by calling right wrong and wrong right? I believe so. It's not the world who has it all wrong, but the church.

    While we whale away at the Moral Majority causes such as abortion, homosexuality, the hiding of pedophiles and liars, scam artists (called warriors now)is the right thing in the church's eyes. You worded it exactly right. From the heart and spoke for me and many others who are wanting the church to love people, not hate them, to quit this and start standing up against things like this. It will only be there as long as Christians let it be there. And so far those standing against it are in the minority is seems.

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  3. My thinking of the failures of churches in SBC and elsewhere to have an impact on the people is that Jesus Christ is not the center of preaching in the churches. Without the centrality of Jesus Christ, EVERYTHING falls apart. A preacher can preach about 10 ways to love mothers and 15 ways to love fathers and how to discipline children. All this preaching is a WASTE. If Jesus is not preached and His work is not preached, all of church efforts are wasted.

    About Ergun Caner and happenings in SBC ... My thinking is this is a reflection of the leaven that has spread throughout US and the world. In short it is greed and cushy lives for the elites. For the common person, even for small infractions they are punished severely. For elites, they can murder, steal billions, wage wars that are not needed. They are all praised for their wisdom. Mind you this leaven has permeated both the parties in US and most countries around the world.

    Ergun Caner is a symptom of rot that has spread around US and the world.

    My 2 cents :)

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  4. If you cant' trust the messengers, how can you trust the message.

    Again, the response to these guys from their congregants is what gives me pause regarding the entire gospel and what I thought I knew to be true regarding it.

    These guys are caught lying about many things and as they ask, if you can't trust them with your finances (or biographies), how can you trust them with anything. I agree.

    If the rest of the leadership would quickly identify and separate themselves from the false teachers, it would be give me more faith in the rest of them. Unfortunately, this type of thing shakes my faith in both the Bible (what it says and what it means to me) and in all religious beliefs.

    It seems a lot of it is based on believing some miraculous tales that are not true, and then not questioning any of the tales.

    They told me to "take it up with the book" and I did. That certainly didn't help their cause. It only made them look worse. They also said I have to believe it all or none. That really didn't help them out with their teachings and applications.

    Oh well. I still believe in God and trust Jesus for salvation. But I believe very little else these guys tell me.

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  5. I find the term Watchdog truly laughable. Watchdogs don't hide behind the fortified position of anonymity. I don't mind posting anonymously because I don't care that anyone but you see this. I have read your blogs now for over 2 years and you never allow a post that is not at the very least minimally supportive of your position. Why not try being equitable? These men like Caner, Lee, Morris and others have been used more mightily in their sleep than you will in 10 lifetimes. Your life's goal now instead of winning souls and sharing the good news of Jesus is to malign and vilify the servants of God. Are they perfect have they made mistakes you'd better believe it but so have you many of them. Remember This someday you will stand before a judge greater than you. Enjoy the judgment seat.

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  6. Anon, 8:07 pm

    Your comment shows that YOU are exactly the problem that the Dog is addressing. And if you don't know who the Dog is, you haven't tried to know, because he has been in the news, having won a settlement from FBCJax and the pastor there.

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  7. Ergun Caner is a disgrace, but so too are the likes of Mike Simoneaux (who was paid by Caner's brother,Emir, to go to Brewton-Parker in Spring 2011 and wound up simply holding the presidency of the college open for Brother Ergun); CB Scott who, for all his raging against "sin" from every stage he could find, has now managed to convince Ergun to "promote" the HR director at Brewton-parker to a Dean of Women position (Mrs. Jones does not have even a bachelor's degree) -- and guess who CB has been pushing for the HR position since HE (CB) landed in Mt Vernon in fall 2012?? CB's WIFE. Remember that CB and his wife were employed by Paige Patterson in years past!! And now CB seems well on his way to running Brewton-Parker by "running" interference for Ergun. Who is/are Ergun's big supporter(s)? None other than Bucky Kennedy, former Pres of GBC and a local preacher in Vidalia -- along with, of course, Mike Simoneaux, puppet of Emir. Why, some ask, does the accrediting agency (SACS) continue to ignore the very public "falsies" worn by the likes of Caner, Simoneaux, and CB Scott?? And now, of course, Dean of Women, Mrs Nicky Jones? Can you imagine...a DEAN without even a bachelor's degree???

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    Replies
    1. Better do more research on these CB Scott assertions. These allegations evidence a deep misunderstanding of why and how decisions were made and actions taken under E Caner at Brewton -Parker.

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  8. I know exactly who he is I see him on a regular basis he was a coward then he is a coward now. look he got caught with his britches down he didn't follow Matthew 18 he seems to know the Bible unless it applies to him he's a coward and always has been.anyone who has suffered the indignity of anonymous bloggers would support everything I'm saying he is a coward got it he is a coward and he will stand before God someday and give an account for his foolishness. I don't have to defend myself he will stand before God. Post this coward.

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  9. Yea he sued a church that is growing and making a difference. We all know who he is. He has people in his own family who think he's a joke. Nice try brother. Good to defend yourself when no one else will.

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  10. By the way you still didn't answer the question. Why not be equitable? ENJOY THE JUDGMENT SEAT!

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  11. Let me keep the ball rolling. Calvin, Bobby, Lewis, Rodney, Aaron and others and myself know the "watchDOG" haha. He was as a joke then who got caught with his britches down and turned into a bitter little man who will never make a difference. A total clown and COWARD!

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  12. Hey ARSE nobody really cares what you have to say. nothing you have ever said amounts to a hill of beans.you and the watchdog should start a ministry called we hate everybody is doing anything for Jesus.

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  13. anonymous 10:36 pm: You are the one caught with your britches down and it's not a pretty sight. It's funny that you do not reveal who you are yet you dare call Tom a coward. I am calling you a coward.

    It's easy to sit behind a anonymous name and spew lies. Whatever church you go to I suggest you listen again to a sermon on salvation. That may be your only saving grace. I admittedly have none for you.

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  14. 10:36 & 11:03
    By reading your whining we can see...
    1) you have no typing skills or are just busily/angrily throwing mud
    2) instead of revealing YOURSELF you assume other FBC'ers appreciate you plastering thier names here to lend credit to your views
    3) you also assume they still hold to your "defend my old church views"
    A thought...
    Stop a moment. Actually read a dissenting viewpoint. Think it over. Defend or expound on it.
    OR shutup about your "poor FBC" being attacked.

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  15. "As a Southern Baptist, as a United States Citizen, I can only express disgust at the actions of these individuals involved in this scheme, particularly Ergun Caner himself and those Southern Baptist leaders who have remained silent or denied Caner's hoax, as they all have certainly disgraced themselves and embarrassed their families. The idea that Caner chose the events of 9/11 to brand himself as a Jihadist to launch his religious career brings dishonor to himself and the religious and educational organizations he represents.”

    The silence of any SBC mega-pastor weighing in on this issue is astounding!! They claim to be God's men for the hour, yet they never really lead in any tangible way. Again, they seek the position (SBC Presidency) without the desire to actually lead God's people.

    Their silence is overwhelmingly deafining

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  16. I see the FBCJAX TROLL is back. His comments are as ignorant and hypocritical as ever. You would think that the laws of chance would catch up with him occasionally and he would get something right.

    What a loser!

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  17. Some of the so-called pastors desire to have their own little empire. They can't make it in the real world as no one would accept their behavior, education or experiences to make a good manager so they believe they are God's man and get into the church to pave their way to riches or fame. Its that simple.

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  18. Don't feed the trolls! *lol* As usual you are on spot watchdog. Thanks again for all you do.

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  19. Yikes...the Troll...you must have a stomach of iron to tolerate such attacks or....you can at least attempt humor at being abused by responders...therefore...just words of encouragement...keep blogging...for those of use enjoying your view points...we may be few...or maybe more...either way...valid points when you do post and I for one continue to read your positions...well done brother.

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  20. Dr. Jupiter aka Dr. JMay 13, 2014 at 2:06 AM

    Adding exploitation of any human situation, even a tragedy like 9/11 to the standard manipulation by religious mercenaries, should not be all that difficult to imagine. Compassion, like accountability or integrity, is not part of their spiritual DNA. For the long term, opportunistic best describes the ministry style of the day.

    For the short term, it's "milk the moment" i.e. CB Scott, pushing his wife for HR Director at Brewton Parker or Jamey Ragle's pew-funded weight loss program. Milk the Moment describes the strategy of personal advantage shamelessly sought - all of which is offered up under the canopy of a rationalistic religion proclaiming itself the One True Way.

    The real train wreck at Brewton Parker College is not the Canner hoax. Granted, that should be enough. It is not even the raffle winners, Lumpkin and Scott, though these two will never be confused with "higher education" or plain old education, for that matter.

    The hoax is the educational hoax played on the students.

    Don't get me wrong. You show up at BPC, pick up all the student aid you can, get the parents to write the check, attend class on a fairly regular basis, memorize some of the definitions of the words in bold print in your text book, and you will get a degree. Now, it will be a degree just north of the one a cat received from an online institution for licking the crumbs from her owners computer keyboard.

    Someone really does need to ask BPC where the graduates are and what they are doing, from say, the last ten years. This school is noticeably silent about its graduates. Why?

    A biology teacher with only a Masters Degree is the tip-off to the educational interest of the current BPC administration. This neither advantages the student nor the teacher. (Dear Biology teacher, you already know without a PhD in your field, you are now at the top of the ladder. Remember, follow your Leader/President, it is about opportunities and seeking them. Why cut yourself off so soon? How about this. Get CB Scott to push Caner to fund your PhD at Georgia Southern.)

    I'm not sure, but I'm going to guess the parents who write those checks for five; and in some cases, six years, are expecting a BPC degree to provide their offspring with greater opportunity than a chance to operate the shake machine at Dairy Queen.

    If the trio running BPC were committed to students having access to half the opportunities they seek for themselves, BPC might in fact become an educational institution again. For now, it is a degree granting youth academy.

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  21. Which is worse...? Profiting off the 9/11 tragedy OR ....wait for it....Profiting (putting family on payroll, six figure income with benefits, preaching circuit, book deals, river cruises, annual Israel trips, land gifts, money trees, etc.) from the horrible beatings and death of Jesus.

    Men have long parlayed the story of Jesus and the gospel for power, wealth, and fame. When you consider this, Ergun Caner must thinking "why the outrage at what I did?" Maybe that is why the rest of the SBC is silent? They know they are doing the same exact thing.

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  22. Question to Johnny Hunt: Is it ALL fake, based on myths and legends and on ancient texts? (only certain parts of which were canonized by the Catholic church); OR is just the stuff Ergun Caner is going to say the lies? Let me know which stuff I am supposed to believe and base my faith on, and which stuff is made up. That goes for Ergun and you.

    I know I have to believe all the bible or none of it, I can't pick and choose. But does that go for Ergun and you too? Must I believe all of you guys or none of you? You better hope not.

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  23. Judge issued his opinion in Autry suit. Surprise surprise Caner lost. Seemed to me that Judge Moon made a point to call out the frivolous nature of the suit and the conduct of Caner and his attorney.

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  24. Why must you believe all or none? It is really 66 different books written over centuries by different people, with some books evidently having multiple authors, e.g., Isaiah. Some parts are reliable, others a bit thin. Some almost mythic. Why not pray and seek guidance and accept what the Holy Spirit tells you in true, rather than rely on some hand-out-for-money preacher.

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  25. I agree with anon 8:40 am. The false "pastors" in the church making a profit off of Jesus' death and suffering is a whole lot worse than what Ergun Caner did, although his lies that profit over the death of others is still nauseating.
    However, when the wolves take Jesus' death and try to make it apply to our lives as if there's a lesson to be taken from it or a type of symbolism that we must do as he did with stupid situations in our lives, it's damning those under the false teaching by withholding the truth of the Gospel.
    Believe it or not, I was raised all my life as a Christian going to a Baptist church 3 times a week and it wasn't until I was an adult who didn't attend church that I heard the Gospel preached in its proper context. It was through a podcast I happened upon and it helped me understand the Bible in ways I never heard of in all the years I was in church.
    Ergun Caner is a minor blimp on the big picture of the church in this day and age. He might have to answer for his lies one day, but there will be several more wolves answering for making a profit off of Jesus' death and their followers who will pay the price with them,

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  26. "I know I have to believe all the bible or none of it..."

    A person that is on their dying death bed, can that person be saved? Yes. How? You lead them through a limited amount of scripture and have them pray for Jesus to come into their heart.

    One minute later that person dies.

    This person didn't need to believe in 99% of the Bible, but still made it to heaven.

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  27. WD, I really hope you don't let the trolls get you down. For those of us who personally know and/or are related to those who died on 9/11 or have served in OEF and OIF, Ergun Caner's scam is an abomination. His uninformed advice could have hurt our men and women being deployed to these Theaters of Operation. Please see this story through until Ergun finally drops his false charade of being a former jihadist.

    This is one of the best posts you have written as it hits every major issue associated with this tragic deception. I am sorry people write mean things about you in defense of such a harmful and hurtful man. You are very brave to continue on. People who attend churches that have been critiqued in your blog have no doubt seen subtle changes, for the better, after your posts. I certainly have. Please continue the vigilance. It does matter and you are making a difference.

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  28. Hahahaha! Got to LOVE a guy that calls a man a coward, while posting as anonymous. You sir are the real coward, and a hypocritical coward at that.
    And you defend these "men of god", as you call them? You are a spiritually blind, hypocritical coward, with no sense of discernment. I bet people even call you "pastor".

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  29. NEWS: Caner loses again. Court disses Caner's claims and footnotes the differences between the Caner book and the Marine video. http://www.abpnews.com/ministry/people/item/28697-ex-muslim-preacher-loses-copyright-claim

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  30. During an oral hearing April 30, Caner’s lawyer introduced an argument not in the written complaint that Autry was “not qualified” to make a fair use claim, because he is a disgruntled former employee motivated by revenge and using a copyright defense to hurt Caner financially by engaging in “cyber-terrorism.”

    Judge Moon called that an “astounding” claim that is “ludicrous on its face.”

    “The First Amendment’s protections, advanced by the fair use defense, have never applied to some bizarre oligarchy of ‘qualified’ speakers,” Moon ruled. “Excluding speakers who criticize public figures from protection due to the speaker’s social status, level of education or other nebulous ‘qualifying’ factors would nullify the broad protections the First Amendment is meant to provide and stifle the open discourse that stands against tyranny, intolerance and oppression.”

    The judge observed in a footnote differences in what Caner told Marines about his background in 2005 and what is published in a book that he co-wrote with his younger brother published in 2002.

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